One of the great lessons of life we have heard for the past week is the way Nelson Mandela forgave those who imprisoned him for 27 years for his beliefs.
Forgiveness is not a state of mind, it is a state of being. Once you forgive yourself you can let go of feelings of frustration, anger, embarrassment, etc. and feel compassion and more self-confident for whom you truly are. It will also reduce your stress level and increase your energy.
As humans we make dozens and perhaps hundreds of “wrong” choices and decisions daily. Making mistakes is the best and fastest way to learn and grow. Forgive (give for) yourself for being human and give yourself the gift of letting go of blame and guilt for not being good enough. Return to a peaceful and harmonious state of mind where you play golf at your peak performance level.
On Sunday, December 8, 2013 at the Northwestern Mutual World Challenge, Zach Johnson shocked everyone watching when he holed out his approach shot on 18 after shanking his first shot into the pond in front of the green. We have seen over and over how a crucial missed shot will destroy a player’s chances to win. But Zack was able to forgive himself for this untimely mistake, let it go and regroup to hit his miracle shot. He learned from his mistake, and hit a 58-yard three-quarter wedge from the drop area to the left of the pond on to the green. It took three bounces, spun back and dropped into the hole for his par culminating in a play-off win against Tiger Woods.
Forgiveness means changing your thinking to release the accompanying emotions that keep you stuck in the past. When you forgive yourself it means you have stopped the endless cycle of negative thinking and emotions that you carry forward into successive holes.
Here is a story that illustrates the destructive power of holding on to non-creative beliefs.
Two Zen Monks
There were two Zen monks walking back to their Monastery. Along the way they came to a river. A woman was standing by the river and she was crying. The first Monk said to her, “My dear lady, why are you crying?”
She said, “My dress is long, the river is swollen, and I am to be married. I can’t go across the river without getting my dress wet. What can I do?”
“My dear lady,” he said, “jump on my back and I will carry you across.”
And he carried her across the river. The Monk put her down on the other side and bowed to her. He and his brother Monk continued on to the Monastery.
About a mile before the Monastery he noticed that his brother Monk had said nothing. He turned to him and said, “My dear brother Monk, what is wrong? What is troubling you?”
The brother Monk said, “You know we Monks are not allowed to have anything to do with women. Yet you not only talked to her, you carried her across the river.”
The first Monk said, “My dear brother, I put that woman down on the banks of the river five miles back. It has been you who has been carrying her all the way back to the Monastery.”
Studies show that people who forgive are happier and healthier than those who hold ill feelings.
Playing golf “in the moment’ means letting go of the past and focusing all of your attention and intention on creating the present shot.
Play “In the Zone” With Joan
Entrain Your Heart & Mind for Peak Performances
Leave a Reply